Laravel Logout Endpoint Returns 'Unauthenticated' Error When Token is Missing

Based on your code, the "Unauthorized" error is returned when the following condition is met:

PHPCopied
if (!$request->user()) {
    return response()->json(['error' => 'Unauthorized'], 401);
}

This indicates that Laravel isn’t recognizing an authenticated user. Here are some troubleshooting steps:

1. Check the Request Token:
   Make sure that when your client makes the logout request, it is including a valid authentication token (usually in the Authorization header). Without it, $request->user() will return null, triggering the 401 error.

2. Authentication Guard:
   Verify that you are using the correct authentication middleware and guard (for example, if you’re using Laravel Sanctum or Passport) on your routes. If the wrong guard is applied, the user might not be authenticated even when a valid token is present.

3. Session vs. Token:
   Remember, a logout endpoint based on token authentication doesn’t need the email and password. The user should already be authenticated via the token. Make sure that your logout endpoint is accessed in the same authentication context in which the token was issued.

4. Client Request Implementation:
   Double-check your client-side code to ensure it sends the token properly with the logout request. For example, if you're using axios in JavaScript:

   JAVASCRIPTCopied
   axios.post('/api/logout', {}, {
       headers: {
           Authorization: `Bearer ${token}`
       }
   })
   .then(response => {
       console.log("Logged out", response.data);
   })
   .catch(error => {
       console.error("Error", error.response.data);
   });

Addressing these points should resolve the "Unauthorized" error. The primary focus is ensuring that your current request contains a valid authentication token so that $request->user() returns the authenticated user.